Serenades, the Swedish duo of Alex Olenius (Shout Out Louds) and Markus Krunegard (Laakso), made their NYC debut on Thursday (12/15) at the Knitting Factory. Their short tour culminated with a midnight show on Friday (12/16) at the Mercury Lounge. One might have excused the duo for going the easy route and performing to only backing tracks, but the Swedes brought along members of Miike Snow and Lykke Li's band to create a formidable five-piece.

The band only has a handful of shows under their belt, but their unabashed, full-on pop already seems too big for such small venues. "Birds" is arguably the best of the lot with ebullient horns and quick-fire strings, punctuated with the refrain "There was something missing in my life / now I know what love is all about." The alone-at-the-holidays track "Come Home" (also the title of their EP) was timely and "All The Words," the lead-track on their full-length, Criminal Heaven (due for a US release in the spring), is already perfectly slotted as the set closer.

Out of the two NYC shows, the Mercury Lounge show had the better turnout, later start time, and better vibe. Based on the strength of the songs and as more Shout Out Louds fans become aware of the project, it won't be surprising to see Serenades at the Bowery or Music Hall when they return for a full tour next year.

Of note was Knitting Factory opener XNY, the Brooklyn-based guitar and drum duo of Pam Autuori and Jacob Schreiber. Not entirely sold on the recorded stuff yet but their live set was assured and enjoyable.

More pictures, Mercury Lounge setlist and the video for "Birds" below...